STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE WILLIAMS AND BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT ERIC ADAMS ON DOJ’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF INVESTIGATION INTO ATTEMPTED COUP LAST WEEK

“The insurrection last week, and the lax response by many members of the Capitol Police, traumatized our nation and raised many questions about how justice is administered in this country – questions to which we already know the answers. What we saw unfold on January 6^th  stood in contrast to the scenes last summer when thousands of nonviolent protesters were arrested, some assaulted, during the protests for racial justice and Black lives. It was a chilling representation of the privilege afforded through white supremacy to commit acts of violence and treason with little consequence, while nonviolent protesters of color face a violent response for making their voices heard.

“Last week, we stood together with Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo to demand a thorough investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) into the response by Capitol Police and other law enforcement entities, and a task force led by the agency to arrest those who participated in the destruction of the Capitol. Today, we are glad to see that the DOJ has heeded our call. We cannot truly move forward until we have a thorough and honest understanding of what went wrong both on that day and in the time leading up to it, or until the people responsible are held accountable for their actions.”